Apopka City Commissioner Alexander Smith will join LANGD’s board for the first time and was elected by the Apopka City Council to become one of its two representatives on the LANGD board during its May 18 meeting. That vote was later approved by LANGD’s board of directors at its May 23 meeting. 

“Our team at Lake Apopka Natural Gas District is excited to welcome Commissioner Smith to our board of directors,” said Samuel Davis Jr., District General Manager and CEO. “Commissioner Smith exhibits the upstanding qualities we look for in a leader and we’re confident that he will be a valuable asset to the group as we remain committed and steadfast in meeting our organization’s goals.”

Smith will replace former Apopka city commissioner, Kyle Becker, on the LANGD board and is currently serving his second term as seat 1 commissioner for the City of Apopka. He will join LANGD’s 2022 board of directors alongside four returning members, who include:

William Arrowsmith – President  
William Arrowsmith is the former vice president of the LANGD board of directors and was the seat 4 Apopka city commissioner for 39 years. In addition to his service as city commissioner, he also served on the LANGD board of directors, representing the City of Apopka, from 2012 to 2016 and was re-appointed in May 2018. Arrowsmith is currently employed with One Florida Bank and has nearly four decades of experience in municipal government.

Fred Crabtree – Vice President
Fred Crabtree is the former general manager and CEO at LANGD (1991-2008) and has decades of experience in the natural gas industry. Crabtree was appointed to serve on the LANGD board of directors, representing the City of Winter Garden, in December 2015. Since 2001, he has also served as part owner of Kerr Marine Tool Company.

Hon. Timothy L. Murry – Secretary/Treasurer
Hon. Timothy Murry is currently serving his first term as mayor of the City of Clermont. Mayor Murry is one of the newer members of the LANGD board of directors and was appointed to serve on the board, representing the City of Clermont, in January 2021.

Hon. John Rees – Director
Hon. John Rees is currently serving his fourth term as mayor of Winter Garden and has served on the LANGD board of directors, representing the City of Winter Garden, since 2000. Mayor Rees has served for 12 years on the Winter Garden city commission and worked with Silver Springs Citrus for over 40 years.

The LANGD board of directors meeting is generally held on the fourth Monday of each month at 10 a.m. at the District office located at 1320 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Winter Garden, Florida. Any change to the regularly scheduled meeting date is communicated to the member cities of Winter Garden, Apopka and Clermont, and published in the Legal Notices section of the Orlando Sentinel. Meeting notices, agendas and any other applicable resolutions or notices are posted on the District website and in the District lobby the Wednesday prior to each board meeting. All board meetings are open to the public.

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These leaders joined together to form a gas utility district, petitioning the Legislature of the state of Florida. Two years later, House Bill 2195, “Act of Florida Legislature Creating the Lake Apopka Natural Gas District,” was passed and the Lake Apopka Natural Gas District (LANGD) was born.

Now, 62 years and more than 26,000 customers later, the District continues to deliver on its mission to provide natural gas services to its member cities with a focus on customer courtesy and care. And, as the Apopka, Clermont and Winter Garden areas continue to grow, LANGD is growing with them.

Over the last five years, the District has expanded its customer base by over 42%. According to Elevate Lake Economic Development, Lake County was ranked the third-fastest growing county in the state in 2020 and LANGD will continue supporting that growth and even expanding its reach.

In addition to its exciting growth, over the last few years LANGD has also been recognized at the highest level for its commitment to excellence in the public natural gas utility industry.

In 2020, the organization earned its highest-ever distinction – the American Public Gas Association (APGA) Gold System Overall Achievement Recognition (SOAR) Award – for the first time in company history. The SOAR award program honors natural gas distribution utilities that demonstrate commitment to excellence in areas of system integrity, system improvement, employee safety and workforce development, and the Gold status is the highest possible achievement.

For ten consecutive years, LANGD has also won APGA’s Safety Award, as well as the Florida Public Service Commission’s Excellent Safety and Compliance Audit Record. The safe delivery of natural gas is the number one priority for all LANGD employees.

The District’s relationship with APGA is far-reaching and extends well beyond just awards. The relationship also provides opportunities for LANGD to educate its member cities about the energy sources available to them.

Several LANGD team members have been involved with APGA over the utility’s 62-year history. Most notably, in August 2019, General Manger & CEO Samuel Davis Jr., assumed the role of chairman of APGA’s board of directors where he advocated for LANGD and over 700 other natural gas utilities across the nation.

In addition to membership, LANGD also participates in APGA’s Annual Conference every summer, which is the largest gathering of public and community-owned natural gas professionals across the nation. This is an opportunity for the District to reconnect with important industry leaders and brainstorm ways to improve their services. In 2021, the conference will take place July 25-28 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.

As our community continues to grow, the District looks forward to growing with it. For 62 years,  LANGD has committed to providing safe, reliable, and affordable natural gas service to every home and business it serves, and the best is yet to come.

Ready to make the switch to natural gas or want to learn more about LANGD? For more information on natural gas service for your home, business or vehicle, please contact the District Marketing Team at (407) 656-2734 x 307, marketing@langd.org, or visit www.langd.org.

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